Category Archives: Class

Space Travel

Posted on March 22, 2021 by 20harriganc

In 1961, Alan shepherd became the first american astronaut in space who was trained and sent to space by NASA. 2 years ago marked the 60th anniversary of NASA and their endeavors into space. During those years, they have sent over 350 people into space and the number will only keep going up. I thinkContinue reading “Space Travel” Continue reading →

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Fusion in Warfare

Posted on March 22, 2021 by wslopes

The world of nuclear warheads and atomic bombs is one best left in the hypothetical. It is scary to think how we are all essentially alive at the will of those in possession of said nuclear weapons. While the prospect of their eventual use is frightening, the fact that we are able to create suchContinue reading “Fusion in Warfare” Continue reading →

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The Public Perception of Space Travel

Posted on March 22, 2021 by weatherbysofferings

In recent times, there is much political hubbub, controversy, and polarization. As someone interested in such things and making sense of them, I began to wonder – how does the American public stand on issues of space travel? Do people tend to value it, broadly, and how do they think it should be approached? IContinue reading “The Public Perception of Space Travel” Continue reading →

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What threat do Coronal Mass Ejections Pose to Us?

Posted on March 22, 2021 by weatherbysofferings

As discussed in class, one of the side effects of the Sun’s shifting magnetic field is that, occasionally, it arranges in an inconvenient fashion that causes the Sun’s plasma to explode aggressively outward. Thankfully, whenever that comes towards Earth, we are protected from any health effects thanks to our atmosphere. But as Professor Grundstrom mentioned,Continue reading “What threat do Coronal Mass Ejections Pose to Us?” Continue reading →

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Radioactivity

Posted on March 22, 2021 by 20harriganc

Radioactivity can be described by radio active decay. The ultimate goals of the atom are to become stable, and when the numbers of protons and neutrons are not ideal, they release some of them. This is the atom changing the nucleus to a new nucleus, which is known as radioactive decay. A half-life is aContinue reading “Radioactivity” Continue reading →

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Blog #4: Saturn Losing it Rings

Posted on March 22, 2021 by mattj3

Saturn’s iconic rings, the largest and most apparent in the solar system, are disappearing. Data produced from the Voyager One and Voyager Two missions observe its rings, rings synonymous with the image of the planet, disappearing at an extremely fast rate.  Saturn’s rings are formed from water ice ranging from microscopic dust to boulder size.Continue reading “Blog #4: Saturn Losing it Rings” Continue reading →

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Blog Post #3 Climate Change and Its Effects On Sea Level

Posted on March 22, 2021 by mattj3

Climate change or global warming is understood (or should be) as an environmental issue with serious and concerning human implications relating to both the causes and consequences of the process. The effects of climate change are observed through the emission and build-up of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Air pollutants and greenhouse gases, like waterContinue reading “Blog Post #3 Climate Change and Its Effects On Sea Level” Continue reading →

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A History of Observing the Sun

Posted on March 22, 2021 by mwdobson3

Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion, once tweeted: “I’m wondering how do these people kno what’s goin on on the the sun.. ain’t nobody ever been.” Like his tweet from 2010, I too wondered how humans have been able to study the Sun’s surface and what discoveries have been made to determine the surface’s characteristics.Continue reading “A History of Observing the Sun” Continue reading →

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Radiometric Dating

Posted on March 22, 2021 by mwdobson3

Radiometric dating, or radioactive dating, is a method astronomers use to study a rock’s age. This method is critical in learning about the Solar System’s formation, as rocks from the Solar System can be studied to find how long ago the rock was formed and how old the Solar System is. When billions of atomsContinue reading “Radiometric Dating” Continue reading →

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Pivoting from Principle

Posted on March 22, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

Astronomy is awesome.  It lets us make cool observations (e.g., things that inform our understanding of the foundations of the universe, like the Cosmic Microwave Background), helps us ask big questions (e.g., why does the universe exist?), and reminds us that not all questions have answers (e.g., we can’t really expect an answer to theContinue reading “Pivoting from Principle” Continue reading →

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